Pep Guardiola to make BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am debut

Guardiola will be joined by a familiar face in Race to Dubai champion Fleetwood, the Englishman with whom he was playing golf when he found out that City had clinched the title courtesy of rivals Manchester United losing to West Brom last month. Picture: Getty Images

London, May 15: Pep Guardiola, manager of record-breaking English Premier League Champions Manchester City, will tee it up alongside Europe’s Number One golfer Tommy Fleetwood in the Celebrity Pro-Am at the BMW PGA Championship on Wednesday May 23.

The stylish Spaniard, whose Man City side yesterday became the first team in Premier League history to reach 100 points in a season, played in the Pro-Am at last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation and he will now make his debut in the traditional curtain-raiser for the BMW PGA Championship – the first of eight Rolex Series events on the European Tour in 2018.

Guardiola will be joined by a familiar face in Race to Dubai champion Fleetwood, the Englishman with whom he was playing golf when he found out that City had clinched the title courtesy of rivals Manchester United losing to West Brom last month. The pair will also be joined by former Southampton star Matt Le Tissier and ex-Manchester United and Manchester City goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

The Celebrity Pro-Am takes place on Wednesday May 23 over Wentworth’s famous West Course, as stars of sport, TV and music join some of the biggest names in golf. Other footballers already confirmed include the Premier League’s record goal scorer Alan Shearer, Man United duo Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham, and former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp. Tickets to see them are available to buy here.

Guardiola played more than 300 times for Spanish giants Barcelona, winning the European Cup in 1992, as well as La Liga on six occasions. He went on to become one of the most successful managers in world football, winning a further three league titles with Barcelona as well as two UEFA Champions League crowns, before further success in Germany with Bayern Munich and latterly in England with Manchester City.

A keen golfer, the 47-year-old plays off a handicap of 14 and is looking forward to taking on the famous West Course, where players such as Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Rory McIlroy have all triumphed over the years.

“I’ve heard some great things about the BMW PGA Championship and I’m looking forward to testing myself in the Pro-Am,” said Guardiola. “After winning the Premier League, it will be a nice way to finish a great season.

“I know there are quite a few sports stars and former footballers in the field, so I think it will be very competitive and hopefully my golf will live up to the event.”

Tickets for the Celebrity Pro-Am, plus all four days of the tournament, and weekend headline bands Rudimental and Simple Minds, are available here.